Sunday, December 18, 2011

Why did God send Gabriel for the Annunciation?

The
angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a
virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s
name was Mary.

Familiar as we are with the narrative of St. Luke’s Gospel, we are tempted to take it for granted
that God sent the archangel Gabriel to announce the joyful news of the
Incarnation to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary.

Yet, of course, it did not need
to have happened that way. God could have forgone the Annunciation all
together. Or one of the Persons of the Trinity could have appeared to Mary
rather than sending an angel. Further, even granting that God chose to send an
angel – he could have sent a seraphim rather than an archangel, or he could
have sent Michael rather than Gabriel.

Why then did God choose to send
an archangel? And why did he send Gabriel?

Why
it was fitting for God to send an archangel

It was right that God should
announce to the Blessed Virgin the plan of salvation so that she might fully
conform her will to the work which was to be effected in her. Indeed, though
the Almighty did not have any absolute need of the Virgin Mary, it was fitting
that (in choosing her) he should allow her to participate in the Incarnation through
her obedient “yes”, her perfect fiat
(let it be). And this is why our Lord announced the Incarnation to Mary in the
first place, so that she would know the mystery before it was brought about, in
order that she might be both a truly obedient handmaid (freely co-operating
with God’s plan) and also a more perfect witness to the power of God.

Now, since the Lord desired to
reveal the Incarnation to Mary before overshadowing her, it was fitting that this
revelation should be announced by an angel, rather than by God himself – and this
on three accounts (as St. Thomas says, ST III, q.30, a.2).

First, God sent an angel to
Mary in order that the general order established by God, according to which the
Divine things are brought to men by means of the angels, might be maintained.
Throughout the Scriptures, God willed that the greatest events be revealed
through the medium of angels; and so too was the Incarnation revealed in this
way.

Second, as the redemption was
brought about in such a manner as to show that the fall had been overcome in
Christ, it was fitting that the same instrument which brought about the first
sin should likewise announce man’s redemption. But the fallen angel Satan had
first tempted Eve to eat of the tree, therefore it was fitting that an archangel
be sent to direct Mary’s heart and mind to the mystery of man’s redemption.

Thirdly, as the angels are
signs of purity – since, in their angelic nature, they know no lust and, by
grace, are wholly free from any stain of sin – it was fitting that an angel
announce this mystery to the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Indeed, she is more pure
even than the angels; her virginal purity caused the angels to exclaim to one
another, Who is she that cometh forth as
the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army
set in array? (Song of Solomon 6:9)

Finally, it was right that God
should send an archangel rather than one of the seraphim, even though the
seraphim are higher than the archangels, because the seraphim do not minister
directly to men but rather the archangels are those sent to bring the most
important messages. And, although there is room for debate within the tradition
as to whether the archangels are among the lower choirs of angels, we recall
that St. Thomas is called the “Angelic Doctor” on account of his wisdom in
writing on the angels, and he tells us that the archangels are lower and that
Gabriel was much lower than the seraphim while at the same time being among the
greatest of those angels who are sent with messages to men. Thus, it is best to
follow the Church in trusting St. Thomas’ wisdom in this matter (especially
since, the Angel of the Schools [i.e. the same St. Thomas] bases his own theory
on the teachings of St. Dionysius the Areopagite and also of St. Gregory the
Great).

Gabriel’s
prophetic proclamation in the Old Testament

Granting that God chose to send
an angel and even one of the archangels, it is not yet clear why he would
choose to send Gabriel rather than Raphael or Michael or another of the
archangels. Considering Gabriel’s role in the Old Testament, we will gain some
insight.

Gabriel has a prominent role in
the book of Daniel, where he is seen to direct and oversee the wars of men. He
appears at least in Daniel 8 and 9, and probably also in chapter 10 (though
there is some uncertainty, since he does not explicitly state his name there).

In Daniel 9:21-25, the
archangel Gabriel gives a most wondrous
prophecy of the coming of the Christ. Consider the words of Scripture:

[21] As
I was yet speaking in prayer, behold the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the
vision at the beginning, flying swiftly touched me at the time of the evening
sacrifice. [22] And he instructed me, and spoke to me, and said: O Daniel, I am
now come forth to teach thee, and that thou mightest understand. [23] From the
beginning of thy prayers the word came forth: and I am come to shew it to thee,
because thou art a man of desires: therefore do thou mark the word, and
understand the vision. [24] Seventy weeks
are shortened upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, that transgression may
be finished, and sin may have an end, and iniquity may be abolished; and
everlasting justice may be brought; and vision and prophecy may be fulfilled;
and the saint of saints may be anointed. [25] Know thou therefore, and take
notice: that from the going forth of the
word, to build up Jerusalem again, unto Christ the prince, there shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks: and
the street shall be built again, and the walls in straitness of times.

Gabriel speaks of the “seventy weeks”
and of the “sixty-nine weeks”, which refer to “weeks of years”, that is four-hundred
ninety and four-hundred eighty-three years, respectively – (“weeks of years”, as
in Leviticus 25,8: Thou shalt also number
to thee seven weeks of years, that is to say, seven times seven, which together
make forty-nine years). On this passage from Daniel, the commentary in the
Douay-Rheims Bible states:

Seventy
weeks: Viz., of years, (or seventy times seven, that is, 490
years,) are shortened; that is, fixed and determined, so that the time shall be
no longer.

From
the going forth of the word: That is, from the twentieth year of king
Artaxerxes, when by his commandment Nehemias rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, 2
Esd. 2. From which time, according to the best chronology, there were just
sixty-nine weeks of years, that is, 483 years to the baptism of Christ, when he
first began to preach and execute the office of Messias.-- Ibid.

Whether we accept the precision
of the chronology, it is quite clear that the archangel Gabriel gives one of
the most precise prophecies of the coming of the Christ. Hence, it was fitting
that he who had announced the mystery of old, should announce the same when the
fullness of time had come.

“The
Power of God” and “The Man of God”

Finally, to understand why it
was that God chose Gabriel both in the Old Testament and in the fullness of
time to announce to men the good news of the Incarnation, we consider the
meaning of his name and the particular role which he has among the other
archangels. We look to the great Fr. Cornelius a’ Lapide:

“S. Jerome remarks on Daniel viii. that there are three
angels, Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel, who are especially mentioned in
Scripture; of whom Michael presides over the prayers and offerings of the
faithful and is therefore called Michael
(that is, ‘who is like God’); for it is the prerogative of God alone to hear
the prayers of penitents: while Raphael presides over the healing of men’s
bodies, and he therefore restored sight to Tobias when he was blind; whence he
is called Raphael (that is ‘the
Healer or the Healing, of God’); and thirdly Gabriel (or ‘the strength of God’) presides over the conflicts and
wars of the faithful (as is clear from Dan. xii. &c.). Wherefore he is sent
to announce the birth of Christ, who was to carry on a most severe war against
Lucifer, and the rest of the demons and impious men.

“Again Gabriel in
Hebrew means ‘man of God’; the meaning of which is that God will be incarnate,
and will be a child as to nature and age; but yet He will also be a man,
because from the first instant of His conception His soul will be full of all
knowledge, grace, and strength, according to the saying of Jer. xxxi. 22, a woman shall compass a man.”

10
comments:

You could also add a #6 or appendage to #2 is that when Gabriel said "Hail," this was no mere "Howdy!" but rather a formal salute of recognition of authority. In other words, St Gabriel saw himself as subordinate to the already Full-of-Grace Blessed Virgin. He already knew She was his superior!

I often wonder why St. Gabriel was sent to announce the Immaculate Conception and not St. Michael.

When God showed the Angels the vision of the Immaculate Conception and certain ones rebelled (non serviam) wasn't it St. Michael that God used to cast them out of Heaven to Earth?

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden wasn't it St. Michael who God sent to cast them out and stood guard at the entrance?

My sketchy recollection of these events may be inaccurate or erroneous, but it is because of these understandings or misunderstandings that I have often wondered why St. Gabriel was sent and not St. Michael for the Annunciation.

I agree, as you say, "God willed that the greatest events be revealed through the medium of angels"; however, He has Himself personally revealed some rather great events. Moses and the burning bush comes immediately to mind as well as the ten commandments, etc.

@ LiamYet the New Testament says that the old law was dictated by angels, so that the New Testament was considered to be superior as it was given by God in Person."[You] who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it" (Acts 7,53).

"Why then was the law? It was set because of transgressions, until the seed should come, to whom he made the promise, being ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator." (Galatians 3,19).

Indeed the Old Testament itself spoke of the "Angel of the Lord" or "Angel of the Presence of the Lord"; many believe it was Jesus in His not-yet-incarnate existence, but I don't know how to reconcile this with the aforementioned quotations. Any thoughts?

Thank you for your kind reply, Father. My thoughts on the matter (bear in mind I am no theologian) are that God Himself was Mary’s ‘Suitor’, if you will, in a matter where He was asking this young maiden to bear His Child. Now should God Himself have asked this dear Virgin to conceive and bear His Child there might be a certain amount of duress or pressure on Mary that could be inferred from such a circumstance (not to mention no Faith required when God asks one directly). So, touchingly, He ‘courts’ Mary through an intermediary, Gabriel, so as to demonstrate and allow absolute respect for her utmost free choice. I think if, as He is occasionally portrayed, God is a shy and considerate Lover then sending an angel is well…endearing.